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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has taken a swipe at his critics in a rambling, self-congratulatory Instagram post, telling them to “meditate, pray, or watch a football match” instead of “spending their time and energy hating us.”
In a 15-slide post on his account, Infantino celebrated what he called the “best show in the world” and defended the football governing body against “those behind their screens spreading hate and false rumours.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which took place across the United States, Mexico and Canada, wrapped up on 19 July, as Spain defeated Lionel Messi’s Argentina 1-0 to lift the trophy at MetLife Stadium.
While the tournament was a hit with fans, it was not without controversy, and the FIFA president was at the centre of many of the most controversial moments.
Perhaps the most divisive moment of the tournament occurred after the US men’s national team’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32.
US forward Folarin Balogun received a one-match ban after getting sent off in the game for a challenge on Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemović, meaning he was set to miss the US’s crucial round of 16 tie against Belgium.
But FIFA made a shock decision to suspend the ban after Trump phoned Infantino to ask him to review the suspension, prompting fierce criticism from across the footballing world, including from European governing body UEFA, and beyond.
Addressing the incident in his Instagram post, Infantino called out what he said was the hypocrisy of those who complained about the decision.
“Indeed, ‘arguable’ referees’ decisions or ‘strange’ disciplinary rulings such as for instance potentially mistaken red or yellow cards or subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide,” he wrote.
“It’s curious that the same countries employing these practices are the ones criticising,” he added.
Infantino also hailed Iran’s involvement in the tournament amid Tehran’s ongoing conflict with the United States, praising FIFA’s attempts to “unite two countries at war.”
“Iran entered the United States without incident or conflict,” he wrote, appearing to ignore the Iranian team’s visa issues ahead of the tournament.
Several members of the Iranian side’s staff were initially denied entry to the US, while the team also had to move their training base from the States, where all of their group games were held, to Mexico due to visa delays.
The Iranians were not the only ones to have trouble navigating US immigration authorities.
Somali referee Omar Artan, one of the world’s top-rated officials, was also denied entry to the US ahead of the tournament after the US Customs and Border Protection agency found him to be “inadmissible due to vetting concerns,” again sparking criticism.
Infantino, who was first elected as FIFA president in 2016, sought to downplay such incidents in his Instagram post, writing: “You mentioned the few people denied visas and overlooked the millions who were approved, from all parts of the world.”
Argentina investigation
While the FIFA boss may have hoped the growing list of controversies would be put to bed after the World Cup final, Argentina’s erratic and widely condemned behaviour following the final whistle fuelled further complaints.
The governing body has opened an investigation into the Argentine team’s actions, after several of Lionel Scaloni’s players and staff became involved in ugly altercations with the Spanish side.
The British government has also called on FIFA to investigate a separate incident that occurred after Argentina’s 2-1 win over England in the World Cup semifinal. Following the game, in which Argentina made a dramatic late comeback from 1-0 down, several Argentine players posed with a banner claiming sovereignty over the disputed Falkland Islands.
‘Much love to all’
Infantino signed off his post by wishing that “those behind their screens spreading hate and false rumours” find “love” and “peace.”
“Finally I am incredibly proud, as FIFA President, to have contributed, even a little, to this show. It’s a great feeling,” he added. “Much love to all.”
